Aluminum base Al—Fe alloys have been developed that have mechanical properties comparable to titanium alloys up to temperatures of around 350° C. and can, because of their lower density—2.9 compared to 4.5 g/cc—result in significant weight savings in several applications. Although properties of these dispersion strengthened alloys are attractive, applications have been restricted, due to the complexity of the fabrication process required to make useful shapes. The benefits that could potentially be derived through use of such alloys have heretofore been offset by the cost of fabricating the alloys into useful shapes.
It is difficult and expensive to manufacture components with these advanced aluminum base Al—Fe alloys because a multi-step process is required that includes rapid solidification ribbon casting, ribbon pulverizing, powder canning, HIP, extrusion, and forging to generate and maintain the unique microstructure and material properties of the alloy. FIG. 1 illustrates this process. The need for extensive hot working by extrusion and forging also limits the size and complexity of parts that can be practicably produced from the alloy.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved methods for forming dispersion strengthened aluminum alloys. Further, it is desirable to provide such methods that do not require ribbon casting. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.